1) Gelbots: Gelbots are made out of gelatin, capable of moving without requiring an extra power source because of the way their shape, dimensions and patterning of gel are designed and are reportedly a significant advance in the world of soft robotics.
- They are created by 3D printing and would be easy for mass production.
- The gels swell or shrink in response to temperature.
- They can be used for moving on surfaces through the human body to deliver targeted medicines. They could also be deployed as marine robots, patrolling and monitoring the ocean’s surface.
2) Urban-20: It is a city diplomacy initiative launched on December 12, 2017, at the One Planet Summit in Paris.
- Urban-20 (U20) provides a platform for cities from G20 countries to facilitate discussions on various important issues of urban development including climate change, social inclusion, sustainable mobility, and affordable housing, and propose collective solutions.
- C40 Cities (C40) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) convene the U20 under the leadership of a Chair city that rotates annually, based in the G20 host country.
- The U20 2023 Cycle will be chaired by the City of Ahmedabad
3) Sahitya Akademy awards: It is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the 8th Schedule to the Indian constitution as well as in English and Rajasthani language.
- Akademi gives 24 awards annually to literary works in the languages it has recognized and an equal number of awards to literary translations from and into the languages of India.
- The Sahitya Akademi award is the second-highest literary honour by the Government of India, after the Jnanpith award.
- Criteria: The author must be of Indian Nationality, Book/work eligible for the award must be an outstanding contribution to the language and literature to which it belongs.
4) UNSC resolution 2593: United Nations Security Council Resolution 2593was adopted on 30 August 2021, following the Fall of Kabul and subsequent Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.
- According to the resolution, the Security Council demands that Afghan territory not be used to threaten or attack any other country or to shelter and train terrorists.
5) The Urban Learning Internship Program (TULIP): TULIP is a programme for providing internship opportunities to fresh graduates in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Smart Cities across the country.
- The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has developed this programme.
- At the State level, TULIP will be supported by the Urban Development departments in providing a clear roadmap for the ULBs/smart cities to adopt TULIP in their respective organisations.
- Duration: Internship durations can range from eight weeks to one year.
